Palworld Devs Reject 'Pokemon With Guns' Label

When thinking of Palworld, the immediate association for many is "Pokemon with guns." This shorthand became popular when the game first surged in popularity, likely boosting its visibility due to the intriguing blend of two seemingly disparate concepts. Even we at IGN have used this phrase, as have many others, because it was a convenient way to quickly convey the game's essence to newcomers.

However, according to Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, the "Pokemon with guns" label was never the intended focus. In fact, Buckley revealed at the Game Developers Conference that Pocketpair doesn't particularly love this moniker. He recounted the game's initial reveal in June 2021 at the Indie Live Expo in Japan, which was well-received. However, Western media quickly branded it as a combination of a "certain franchise" and guns, a label that has persisted despite efforts to move away from it.

In a follow-up interview, Buckley clarified that Pokemon was never part of the initial pitch for Palworld. While the development team includes fans of the franchise, the game's concept was inspired more by ARK: Survival Evolved. Buckley explained that the team, being avid ARK players, wanted to expand on that formula with elements from their previous game, Craftopia. The goal was to create a game where creatures had more personality, abilities, and uniqueness, much like ARK but with a heavier focus on automation.

Buckley acknowledged that the "Pokemon with guns" label did contribute to Palworld's success. He mentioned that Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive even trademarked "Pokemonwithguns.com," which fueled the game's viral spread. However, he expressed some frustration that some people still believe this is an accurate representation of the game without having played it. He emphasized that Palworld is not at all like Pokemon in gameplay and encouraged players to give it a chance.

Interestingly, Buckley doesn't see Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, citing different target audiences and again drawing parallels to ARK. He also dismissed the notion of significant competition in the gaming industry, describing it as more of a manufactured concept for marketing purposes. Instead, he believes the real challenge lies in the timing of game releases.

If given the choice, Buckley would prefer a different tagline for Palworld, something like, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." Although he admits it's not as catchy, it better reflects the game's unique blend of influences.

In our extended interview, Buckley and I also discussed the potential of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more. You can read the full discussion right here.